Guide
How Much Does a UK Student Visa Cost?
Last updated: September 2026
A UK Student Route visa has two separate costs: the visa application fee, and the Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS), which is charged per year of your course. Both figures are set by the Home Office and change periodically — this guide explains what each one is for, not a fixed price, since quoting an exact number here would likely be out of date by the time you read it.
1. The visa application fee
A flat fee charged for processing your Student Route application, paid when you submit online. This is separate from — and smaller than — the IHS in most cases. Check the current amount on the official gov.uk Student visa page before you budget.
2. The Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS)
The IHS gives you access to NHS healthcare for the duration of your stay, and it's charged per year of your visa — a partial extra year (e.g. a few remaining months beyond a full year) is charged at a reduced part-year rate rather than a full additional year. This is why course length has a real effect on total visa cost: a one-year UK master's pays roughly half the IHS of a two-year programme elsewhere, on top of the tuition savings already covered in the one-year master's guide.
What this doesn't include
The visa fee and IHS are what you pay to the Home Office — they're separate from the financial evidence requirement (proof you can cover tuition and living costs), which doesn't cost anything itself but does require your bank statements to meet a specific threshold held for a minimum period. See the full Student Route requirements guide for that piece, and the cost of living guide for what you'll actually spend once you arrive.
Frequently asked questions
What are the two costs in a UK student visa application?
The visa application fee itself, and the Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS), which gives you access to the NHS while you're in the UK. Both are paid as part of the same online application, but they're calculated differently.
Why does the IHS depend on my course length?
The IHS is charged per year (with a part-year uplift for a remaining few months), so a two-year master's costs more in IHS than a one-year one. This is a major reason a UK master's is cheaper to attend overall than a longer programme — you're paying the surcharge for fewer years.
Where do I find the current exact fees?
On the official gov.uk Student visa page. Both the application fee and the IHS rate are set by the Home Office and have changed more than once in recent years — always use the current government figure rather than a number from a third-party site, including this one.
Do I need to show extra money on top of the visa fees?
Yes — the visa fees are separate from the financial evidence you need to show (proof you can cover tuition and living costs). See the full Student Route requirements guide for that piece.
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